Smallpox epidemic in the Trucial States after the organization of health services in the Arabian Gulf (1935-1936) "Documentary Study"

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the Arabian Gulf region was exposed to many diseases and epidemics such as smallpox, cholera, plague, Spanish flu and others. These diseases and epidemics had many negative effects on the population of these areas in the health, social, demographic, economic and other aspects. Among the areas that have been exposed to such diseases and epidemics are the Trucial Coast; where it was exposed to the smallpox epidemic between 1935-1936; Where the epidemic first appeared in the Ras Al Khaimah region, specifically on December 11, 1935 then move to the rest of regions of the Trucial Coast.
Through this study, we reviewed diseases and epidemics in the Trucial Coast prior to the outbreak of the smallpox epidemic between 1935-1936. Also we tried to clarify how the health authorities in the Arabian Gulf region dealt with the smallpox epidemic in the Trucial Coast between 1935-1936. The study also seeks to determine the extent of the success of the health authorities in the Arab Gulf region in dealing and confronting the smallpox epidemic in the Trucial Coast and avoiding its negative effects on the health, social, demographic and economic aspects of the population of the Trucial States during the spread of this epidemic. The study also touched on the goals and endeavours of the health authorities in the Arabian Gulf region as a result of dealing with the smallpox epidemic in the Trucial Coast between 1935-1936.

This study relied on documents from the British archives, as well as other primary sources focusing on this important aspect of the history of the health status of the Gulf region in general and the Trucial Coast in particular.